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I knew last night when they said that the LIRR would be operational this morning that is was all a lie. Barely functional would have been a more accurate description. The LIRR is run solely for the benefit of the unions. Did you really think the lazy union worker was going to remove the snow?
Don't be absurd. The reason today was so screwy is because the inspectors were overworked. They don't just clear snow, ice and debris and call it a day. The routes need to be inspected by a safety crew to ensure that everything is safe.
And they have us by the balls with limited options to get into NYC. Fortunately, in this lifetime the LIRR is going to run into trouble as they keep raising rares - 1) city parking (Queens) becomes a viable option based on monthly garage costs, relative to tickets prices, and 2) autonomous cars will revolutionize how we get form point A to point B.
On a different note, are there any historic examples of self indulgent unions which have been successfully broken down, eventually?
What??? That's the most ludicrous thing I've ever read on this site. THEY have you by the balls? What would you like them to do, invent a new mode of transportation? You can take the train, the bus, take a cab, hire a limo, use Uber, or, God forbid, drive yourself. But hey, THEY have you limited!
I arrived at the Bethpage station shortly before 7. When I first arrived the signs said the 7:01 train was running on time. Eventually they did not list the status of trains anymore. Not a good sign. I got on a very PACKED train just before 8.
My wife was on the 638a Bethpage that actually got there at 705a. Surprised you didn't get that 705.
Also agree the crew (actual workers) deserve more credit for today. Imagine you're one of them having to work all weekend and getting these remarks.
Yea, definitely the unions fault. They ordered this HISTORICAL snowstorm. While I am the 1st to bash on the LIRR, I am not sure what anyone expected? Trains don't run through 10 inches or more snow. We got 26 to 30!!!
Metro North sure did better than the LIRR and no, they didn't get 24" - 30" but they did get 12-18". The difference is Metro North is managed better, and it shows in the service. Sure they have their problems, but the two railroads are like night and day.
The big difference, the LIRR DOESN'T GIVE a CR@P. You don't like it, don't take it. Pretty much the slogan of most service providers on LI today.
What??? That's the most ludicrous thing I've ever read on this site. THEY have you by the balls? What would you like them to do, invent a new mode of transportation? You can take the train, the bus, take a cab, hire a limo, use Uber, or, God forbid, drive yourself. But hey, THEY have you limited!
For a huge number of commuters, yes LIRR is only game in town, so I don't think it's that ludicrous of a statement.
What??? That's the most ludicrous thing I've ever read on this site. THEY have you by the balls? What would you like them to do, invent a new mode of transportation? You can take the train, the bus, take a cab, hire a limo, use Uber, or, God forbid, drive yourself. But hey, THEY have you limited!
I've got the impression you didn't commute into NYC prior to your relocation to the Sunshine State. Excellent suggestions (from the upper east side) but the bottom line is that the reponse time of the LIRR is consistently slower than all other light rail in the tri state area. Strangley, Metro North which is under the same MTA umbrella even, always ramps up serivce quicker than LIRR after a weather event.
Knowing two people that work for the railroad (LIRR), there is not a reward for getting things done ahead of a deadline - in fact it is the complete opposite. That's enough of hint as I don't want to spell it out.
I knew it would be a mess. The problems started on Saturday. Instead of shutting down before the storm got really bad, the LIRR insisted on running trains anyway. These trains got disabled quickly as accumulations reached the third rail. One train was stuck for 3 hours with no power west of Hicksville on Saturday and had to be towed by a rescue locomotive.
When service was finally suspended, disabled trains blocked tracks. Cuomo's travel ban also kept workers from relieving employees on duty. Some employees were stuck on disabled trains for many hours without heat or power.
When the ban was lifted Sunday morning, disabled trains first had to be cleared, then the long process of cleaning up the railroad started. I knew Sunday night just by looking at the tracks that getting service up & running this morning would be a tall order. Still lots of snow all over the third rail, switches frozen.
In previous years, when Helena Williams was LIRR President, service would have been shut down sooner, so there wouldn't have been disabled trains blocking the tracks. Throughout the storm equipment and snow clearing trains would run, keeping the snow from blocking third rails and switches from freezing.
And when service was restored, a special "enhanced weekend schedule" or storm schedule would have run.
But instead, this morning they tried to run regular service and failed miserably.
This Patrick Nowakowski guy never even communicated to the public today.
And passengers on suspended branches were left without any substitute bus service. No attempts were even made to accomadate those passengers. For instance, Valley Stream was left without any service, as all the branches that serve it were suspended (Far Rock, Long Beach, and W.Hempstead). No Babylon trains were diverted to serve that station.
Similar situation at Floral Park, which is on the Hempstead branch but has platforms for Main Line trains, none made any stops. And for some time, trains were skipping Westbury & Carle Place too. This Nowakowski guy likes to play favorites, something Helena never did.
At least we're on one of the restored branches, for folks in Valley Stream, well they would have to go to Lynbrook, or better yet, just use the n4 bus to the E train at Jamaica.
Not sure what the MTA's excuse is for not providing shuttle buses for people who pay upwards of $300 a month for a ticket, NJ Transit provided buses for it's suspended branches today. Just cancel some NYC Express Bus service and divert them to LI.
Still LIRR riders need to not be so reluctant on using alternative transportation. At Mineola, no need to stand there for so long in the cold when there are the n22 and n24 buses literally right on the other side.
In Long Beach the n15 can be used to reach RVC & catch a train there. Most West Hempstead stations are near the n15.
Instead, I hear ppl saying they paid for taxis!
One thing I can say after today's stunt, good luck on ever convincing many of these LIRR commuters to support their tax money go to paying the MTA to operate Nassau's buses again.
Of course today is just another example of why we need to have buses, they need to be advertised better to commuters and funded more, no matter who runs it.
Read a comment on one person who stood at Merillon for 90 minutes waiting this morning, when Jericho Turnpike is nearby and the n24 which actually runs every 15 min or so.
Always know alternatives. The taxis are always waiting to ripoff those who don't.
I believe the news media purposely under estimated the potential power of this storm. In the past few years they forecast armageddon, and the MTA shuts down prematurely, Governor issues a travel ban, schools close, blah blah blah...then the snow never comes and everyone is in an uproar over bad forecasting and the government agencies being too proactive. Like others said, the LIRR was running well into Saturday afternoon, they should have shut down earlier.
The communication is the problem, whoever is running their newsfeed and messages to the media doesn't give good info about what really is happening.
I believe the news media purposely under estimated the potential power of this storm.
The media's main purpose is to drive ratings and viewership because that brings in ad money = revenue. Doing anything underwhelmingly is never their MO.
I can't believe I'm reading this correctly - they finally get it right and people still complain about them.
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